Volta Trucks, a leading and disruptive full-electric commercial vehicle manufacturer and services provider, has confirmed the promotion and appointment of Ian Collins as its new Chief Product Officer, with immediate effect. Ian Collins joined Volta Trucks in August 2020 as Engineering Director.
In his new role, Ian Collins will be responsible for the development of the product roadmap and lifecycle planning for Volta Trucks, including all features, attributes and specifications across all sectors and markets. He will also lead the design and development of all vehicles and products, from initial concept through to market launch. His responsibility will also extend to overseeing the company’s Procurement and Quality functions, working with best- in-class partners, and ensuring that customer’s expectations are exceeded throughout the life of the vehicle.
The announcement comes immediately following the unveiling of the company’s first running prototype chassis, complete with production-specification frame and drivetrain. The prototype chassis is the forerunner to the Pilot Fleet expected to be delivered in late 2021 to start internal and customer testing and evaluation. Full-scale production of customer- specification vehicles will then follow at the end of 2022.
Ian Collins joined Volta Trucks from the start-up electric passenger car brand, Polestar, where he held the position of Head of UK Research and Development. He was responsible for the creation of Polestar’s UK engineering facility and the appointment of a team of 120 engineers and designers. Prior to this, he was Technical Director and CEO of Emerald Automotive Design, a Geely Group company that delivered the LEVC TX e-city taxi from initial concept through to series production. He has also held senior engineering management positions at McLaren Automotive and Rover Group.
Chief Executive Officer of Volta Trucks, Essa Al-Saleh, said;
“I’m delighted to confirm Ian Collins’ promotion to the position of Chief Product Officer. Since he joined the company almost a year ago, Ian’s developed a world-class team of engineers who are bringing the Volta Zero to life at industry-leading pace. He’s also created a nimble and agile approach to the design and development of our vehicles so we can react to our customer’s requirements and can supply them with the vehicles they urgently need. With the Procurement and Quality functions being directly linked to our product strategy, as well as our long-term commercial success, bringing these key departments together is a logical step as we develop our structure. Our ability to attract the best talent to the company, as well as developing from within, will be integral to our ongoing success, and Ian’s appointment is another great example of us having world-class experts and leaders on the Volta Trucks Executive Management Team.”
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Editor’s notes.
About the Volta Zero.
The Volta Zero is the world’s first purpose-built full-electric 16-tonne vehicle designed for inner-city logistics, reducing the environmental impact of freight deliveries in city centres. Designed from the ground up with an operating pure-electric range of 150 – 200 kms (95 – 125 miles), the Volta Zero will eliminate an estimated 1.2M tonnes of CO 2 by 2025.
Safety is also at the heart of Volta Trucks, with its ambition of producing the safest trucks for our cities. The Volta Zero was designed for electric from the outset, which facilitates a step- change in vehicle, driver and pedestrian safety. Thanks to the removal of the internal combustion engine, the operator of a Volta Zero sits in a central driving position, with a much lower seat height than a conventional truck. This combination, plus a glass house-style cab design, gives the driver a wide 220-degrees of visibility, minimising dangerous blind spots. The prototype Volta Zero was launched in September 2020, with the first vehicles expected to be operating with customers in late 2021.
About Volta Trucks.
Volta Trucks is a start-up full-electric goods vehicle manufacturer and services company. Volta Trucks has offices in Sweden, France and the UK and is partnering with a number of global leaders in the supply chain for the development and production of the Volta Zero.
For further information, please contact:
Duncan Forrester
Chief Communications Officer
E: Duncan.Forrester@voltatrucks.com
T: 00 44 7768 877877